REDDITCH United Ladies got their West Midlands Women’s League Division One South season off to a flying start with a convincing 6-0 victory at a Rugby Town side who had won promotion from the Birmingham County Premier League last season.
Sunday’s fixture presented a tricky test for the Reds against a Rugby side who sat deep and tried to hit the visitors on the counter-attack.
However, Gary Barrell’s side, for whom Maisie Farr and Amy Kendall cleverly protected the back four, adapted to the challenge and took the lead when good work on the right by the energetic Rebecca Gwilliam set up Mayme Conroy to fire home past the outstretched Town goalkeeper.
The visitors doubled their lead before the break through Gwilliam who was quickest to react to a knock-down in the box from a Sarah Kennedy corner.
Rugby had their moments in the second half although Reds keeper Kirsty Grigg was rarely seriously troubled and it was 3-0 when Ellie Gerhold neatly chipped the ball home from an acute angle.
Kennedy then netted her first competitive goal for United when she scored directly from a corner before the introduction of substitute Jodie Imms piled further misery on a tiring home side.
Imms, Sam Berry, Farr and Kerstin Ballard completely dominated the closing stages in midfield and the visitors’ superiority was crowned when Gerhold struck twice more to register the Reds’ first hat-trick of the season.
The Reds are back at home on Sunday against Staffordshire outfit Goldenhill Wanderers who play in West Midland Regional League North. This SSE Women’s FA Cup second qualifying round tie kicks off at 2pm.
Meanwhile, the Reds have been drawn to host Solihull Sporting Vixens of the Birmingham County Premier in the Birmingham FA Women’s Cup first round on Sunday, October 15.
